Update- Carrying of knives

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JohnL

Forager
Nov 20, 2007
136
0
West Sussex
Guys,

Watch out in Scotland,

On the 26th of Feb, i was stopped in the Forests just out of a town called Turriff in Aberdeenshire,

In my pack which was secured and locked away in the side pocket was a Survival Knife, and in my main pack was my GFB, i was hauled in for carrying offensive weapons, even though i was in a wooded area, the reason i was stopped, i was seen in the woods, and the cops wanted to make sure i wasnt a poacher.

The next thing they are asking if i have a knife on me, i said aye i do and it is in my pack out of sight so folks dont get worried,

Well next thing i am cuffed and hauled off to the Police station where my pack was searched, my GFB, Survival knife, shapening stone were all taken from me, then the S@*s charged me with carrying offensive weapons in public.

So now i cant have a knife for doing bushcraft, nor can i have my axe, or any other edged weapon with me,

Basically i am not allowed to have any edged weapon on me, and the have stuffed my bushcrafting up the ****.

Jake Cohen
Scotland

That is scary. I am moving to scotland, isle of arran next month. I am scared to take my knives with me.

You have my sympathy, I hope you get your tools back.
 

Sisyphus

Tenderfoot
Feb 17, 2009
74
0
north east scotland
Were you on private land, or Forestry Commission land?

I know someone who was stopped by the police up this way after he was seen by a member of the public chopping up deadwood for a campfire with a small axe, within view of the road. He wasn't charged or arrested, they just told him to be more discrete and left him alone.

My limited experience of dealing with the police here in Aberdeenshire has always been uneventful - politeness and a bit of of humilty goes a long way (not saying you weren't!) but I've never come across a policeman here I would call a jobsworth.

As has been asked, are you going to court?


Guys,

Watch out in Scotland,

On the 26th of Feb, i was stopped in the Forests just out of a town called Turriff in Aberdeenshire,

In my pack which was secured and locked away in the side pocket was a Survival Knife, and in my main pack was my GFB, i was hauled in for carrying offensive weapons, even though i was in a wooded area, the reason i was stopped, i was seen in the woods, and the cops wanted to make sure i wasnt a poacher.

The next thing they are asking if i have a knife on me, i said aye i do and it is in my pack out of sight so folks dont get worried,

Well next thing i am cuffed and hauled off to the Police station where my pack was searched, my GFB, Survival knife, shapening stone were all taken from me, then the S@*s charged me with carrying offensive weapons in public.

So now i cant have a knife for doing bushcraft, nor can i have my axe, or any other edged weapon with me,

Basically i am not allowed to have any edged weapon on me, and the have stuffed my bushcrafting up the ****.

Jake Cohen
Scotland
 

Hobbit on a String

Tenderfoot
Jan 5, 2009
77
0
Aberdeenshire (Turriff)
Hi Brothers/Sisters
As wayland say dont go off the deep end,

My home area is up here and the local bobbies dont like me,

As to one poster i was on private land, not F.C

There was no caution, it was either relingwish to ownership of the knife and GFB or be arrested for having concealed weapon upon my person.
The knife and GFB were in my Bergan side pocket, under the raincover, so i was not carrying them in public, i might be thick but not that thick.

There was no caution, there was no need for them to do so, i did 7yrs inside,
but the only weapons under the Crim Just Scot Act i am not allowed are Firearms.

The Bobbies were called as someone was seen in Private land with a bergan and a beard, and the words they used "who looked like a poacher"

I come back to turriff every 6mths or so to make sure my partner is ok, and to get mail and be with her, she is understanding of me, and how i cant be inside 4 walls, just cant do it, so i live outside, even though the house is in my name, bought outright.

But that is the way of life up here.

My words of Advice to all the Brothers and Sisters out there, be carefull what you carry, and where you are.

The Hobbit
 

inthewids

Nomad
Aug 12, 2008
270
0
42
Morayshire
That drives me mad, we are responsible people and use a knife as a 'tool' not a weapon!! Just because you are in the woods, perhaps with green clothes on, does that make you a poacher to the public eye? I have never had hastle from the police, i always camp discreetly, if you carry a knife in a bag/pocket its concealed? They really have gone too far with this, if the criminals/ chavs/ thugs (whatever you want to call them) cant carry a knife they will just carry something else as a weapon ,i cant remember where i read it. maybe British blades, but someone said that most knives confiscated are kitchen knives, from chavvy types, one more reason why i want to move away from Britain...
 
There was no caution, it was either relingwish to ownership of the knife and GFB or be arrested for having concealed weapon upon my person.
The knife and GFB were in my Bergan side pocket, under the raincover, so i was not carrying them in public, i might be thick but not that thick.

Ok, not good. So you have a year and a day for the PF to decide if there is enough evidence for there to be a likelyhood of a successful prosecution and for your invitation to court.

This is not a good situation and it pretty much depends on who the judge is on the day and how they view any history. It shouldn't be down to this, it offically is down to you to prove you had "just cause". And if you do live "rough" most of the time in the woods, the it would appear that you have but you'd need to prove it. Bushcraft would appear to be "just cause" however bear in mind you have no legal recourse to cutting live wood. The police are prosecuting folk in the National Park for cutting down live stuff-quite rightly too.

I'm really interested how this pans out...good luck and try n get some legal advice.

WS

 

gunslinger

Nomad
Sep 5, 2008
321
0
69
Devon
to quote them

"Carrying a knife is using a knife - by picking up a knife you have already committed that crime"

:banghead: :banghead: :banghead: :banghead:

Is it just me ,who has no idea exactly what that means?

Is it in a foreign language?

I have now read it tens of times and it doesnt make sense.

GS
 

JohnL

Forager
Nov 20, 2007
136
0
West Sussex
Obviously that is aimed at people who carry a knife as a weapon, not people who are going camping or fishing or hunting or use a knife in their profession.

But yeah, articles like this never make that clear and just help to spread fear and panic about knives.

But is that actually the case? If I carry a knife for camping, is that acceptable in scotland?
I am rather worried as a criminal record would screw me up as my job involves a lot of working with kids.
 

Sisyphus

Tenderfoot
Feb 17, 2009
74
0
north east scotland
But is that actually the case? If I carry a knife for camping, is that acceptable in scotland?
I am rather worried as a criminal record would screw me up as my job involves a lot of working with kids.

"4. The Criminal Law (Consolidation) (Scotland) Act 1995 prohibits the carrying of knives and other articles with blades or points in public places without lawful authority or good reason. The maximum penalty on summary conviction is imprisonment for a term not exceeding 6 months or a fine not exceeding the statutory maximum (£5000) or both. The maximum penalty on conviction on indictment is imprisonment for a term not exceeding 2 years, or a fine or both"

I would say camping is a perfectly good reason for having a knife, but obviously common sense suggests that something like a kukri or golok would be difficult to justify if you were in a commercial seaside campsite for example. I have no qualms atall about carrying a mora for camping and fishing in scotland, I've carried such knives since I was a kid and will continue to do so.
 

Hobbit on a String

Tenderfoot
Jan 5, 2009
77
0
Aberdeenshire (Turriff)
Were you given a receipt for them?

Hi Wayland,
Aye i made sure they gave me a bit of paper detailing what they took off me, and where they were in the pack.

I am off to see the Lawyer in the morning, as this has set me back a bit,

As for one poster was i hacking at live wood, NOPE, even my covers over my basha are all dead wood, or wood that has fallen from the main trunk.

Me and my partner went back to the area where i was knicked during the week just so i could show her where it all happened, Found out who it was that phoned the coppers, it was the Caretaker of Dalgatie Castle, as she owns half of the forest and doesnt want anyone camping on her land, so she phoned the cops and said there was a "poacher",

I was polite and thanked her for getting me into the **** with the cops, but under the open access rights in Scotland i do have the right to camp in the forest, And under the Crim Just Act Scotland i do have the right to carry the Axe and Knive if they are to be used with my craft and for the proper purpose for what they are made. As to poaching, there is enough natural food without having to steal my food.

I thank all the posters who have been with me on this, and if you want to sto in for a cuppa or a beer, let me know when your in the area, as me and the missus will welcome you, you can even set up out back or have the spare room if you want.

Semper Fidelis

The Hobbit
 

Hobbit on a String

Tenderfoot
Jan 5, 2009
77
0
Aberdeenshire (Turriff)
Sorry i should have not said Charged, as i was'nt charged in the english way, up here it is slightly differant, they said that the PF would be informed of my detention un the CJSA, and that charges may follow from this point,

I apologise for that typo being rather high and rather pee'ed off i buggered up with that,

But my Black Handle Huntin Knife, Skinning Knife, and my GFB Forest Axe were taken from Me,

My Pack was stripped in the cop station, everything was emptied out of the pack, cooker taken out, KFS taken apart, doss bag searched, every single pocket on my bergan searched,

And the comment that has got to me the most was "i am sure there is plenty of butter knifes you can play with at home"

They know i spend most of my time outside.

So at the mo i am out in the garden under a tarp,

The offer is still there, any brothers or sisters out there who are coming this way, drop in for a cuppa, your more than welcome

The Hobbit
 

sirex

Forager
Nov 20, 2008
224
0
bournemouth
this kind of thing scared me silly.

I carry a mora clipper with me while hiking, and i wouldn't go without it any less than i'd go without a compass. To me its a piece of vital gear as much as any other. These stories of people being given cautions or whatever for carrying knives, i'd always assumed was because they were in a town center or similar, but to be in the countryside and have the police do such a thing leaves me at a loss for words.

Ive seen many posts from people including those claiming to be police officers that state the police "don't just search anyone without reason" and try to calm people such as myself by saying that you have to give the police a good reason to search you, and if you were hiking or similar you have nothing to worry about. Given stories like hobbit's, this obviously isn't the case, or at least navigates around things like "if some old **** calls the police calling you a poacher, you can expect to end up in court".

It also troubles me that someone such as myself finds themselves scared more of the police of their own land than of anything the police are there to protect against.

I'm contemplating just not taking anything sharp with me, but to be honest that seems foolish at best, and dangerous at worst.
 

Hobbit on a String

Tenderfoot
Jan 5, 2009
77
0
Aberdeenshire (Turriff)
Hi Sirex

Thanks to this old ****, i am no longer in a postion to go out and do what calms me down,
I am on long term benefits and it takes a while for me to save up for my kit, but i will be back out doing what we all do, and i am not letting them stop me, if i end up in court so bloody well be it, they cant stop me doing what i do.

Just have to save up, so for the time being, in a tent in the back garden.

Be carefull out there folks.

The Hobbit
 

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